Help!

[AmberD]

I just adopted a new kitten. He seemed quite healthy when we picked him out which is more than I can say for the other kittens these people had at their home. When I saw how sick the other kittens appeared I couldn't bear to leave without one. I just couldn't leave knowing that these kittens would probably be left to die without proper vet attention.
Anyhow, our little guy is the most lovable little kitten I've ever seen! The only problem is he appears to be very shakey and off balance all of the time. At first I feared distemper but I looked up the symptoms and he doesn't seem to have any of those. All sorts of things have crossed my mind. They were being kept in a garage and though it seemed clean and kept, I fear he might have gotten into some anti-freeze. He's eating and drinking well and appears to be quite normal other than the off balance thing. He was horribly infested with ear mites which I have begun treating him for. Could this be the cause of his balance issue? I want to do the best for him and if anyone has any suggestions I would greatly appreciate it! Thanks

[lvpets2002]

:( So sad to hear of your new little kitty. Yes ear problems can cause the out of balance & but wont have anything to do with the shaking. However all of my girls that I adopted had bad ear mite problems & their balance was ok.. Your kitty could have any number of diff things going on inside && Would Highly Suggest Taking your Kitty to See a Vet. now.. Best of luck & my furr babies send whisker kisses & prayers to your little one.;)

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

He may have a condition called Cerebral Hypoplasia which - from what I understand - kittens can get when their mother has distemper.

Do a search on the internet for it. I believe there is a Yahoo group out there just for people with cats with this condition.

I know Maya & Inka's Mommy, Queenscoopalot and Laura's Babies all have kitties with this condition.

But of course, my very first suggestion is to get the kitty to a vet ASAP if you haven't done so already.

[furrykidsmother]

Agreed, first thing to do is get the kitty to a vet to have him checked.

[QueenScoopalot]

It certainly sounds like cerebellar hypoplasia to me! Panleukopenia aka distemper is rampant this year and I've been coming across more ch kittens this year than in years. :eek: Here's one link.....
http://www.vetinfo.com/cencyclopedia/cecerhypo.html
and one for a Yahoo group devoted to helping care for and support others with ch kitties...
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/chkittyclub/
And here's the website link as well, with stories posted by members (me included) ;)
http://www.chkittyclub.com/pages/members.html
It's still a very good idea to take your new kitten into the vets for an exam, and vaccinations & worming as well. ;)

[AmberD]

Thanks for all your help and suggestions. I never knew anything about Cerebellar Hypoplasia before but after reading the description, I think it is a good possibility. We'll be making a trip to the vet very soon for a proper diagnosis. Thanks again to everyone!

[Laura's Babies]

Let me tell you, DO NOT PUT THIS KITTY TO SLEEP if it has CH!! My Amy has it and some of QSL's babies and they are perfectly able to live happy, healthy lives and he will amaze you if that is what he has, at how he will overcome things.

This is a old thread on Amy that has other CH kitties in there and lots of information if you care to read the whole thread.

http://petoftheday.com/talk/showthread.php?s=&postid=1027037#post1027037

THIS is a MUST see... Amy's greatest accomplishment of ALL!!
http://petoftheday.com/talk/showthread.php?s=&postid=945950#post945950

CH kitties are absloutely AMAZING little creatures!

[smokey the elder]

Diva sez CH is something you can live with! And it makes you quite the privileged character. I can get away with anything...:p

[kittyluva657]

I am so sorry to hear about your new fur kid. Good luck and welcome 2 PT!!